Apparatus for supplying sheet materials

ABSTRACT

This invention provides a method of supplying sheet-like materials in which a plurality of sheet-like materials comprising tire constituent materials and cut into a predetermined size are conveyed by an applying conveyor means and applied onto a building drum. A sheet-like material to be assembled is supplied onto a conveyor belt of the applying conveyor means. Another sheet-like material to assemble, which is held on a transfer drum, is laminated onto the material on the conveyor belt sequentially from one of the end sides thereof to the other with press by rotating and moving the transfer drum. Then a laminate body comprising the sheet-like materials is wound on the building drum.

This is a division of application Ser. No. 08/561,019, filed Nov. 21,1995, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,667,610.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a method of supplying a plurality of materialscomprising tire constituent materials and cut into a predetermined sizeto a building drum and an apparatus therefor. More particularly, thepresent invention relates to a method of supplying sheet-like materials,and an apparatus therefor, which can efficiently laminate and assemble aplurality of sheet materials on a building drum after cutting them inthe length equivalent to a width wound on the building drum, thesheet-like materials formed in the width equivalent to length of acircuit of the building drum in advance.

When an inner liner, a carcass, etc, as tire constituent materials arelaminated in a tire shaping process, these sheet materials are suppliedone by one to a tire building drum and are sequentially laminated andassembled on the building drum. After the distal end portion of thesheet material conveyed on a conveyor belt of a applying conveyor istouched to the building drum, it is wound on the building drum whilethis drum is being rotated. A plurality of the sheet-like materials canbe sequentially laminated and applied on the building drum when thisoperation is repeatedly carried out.

Such a method, and an apparatus therefor, are described in JapanesePatent Publication No. 61384/1990 filed by the applicant of the presentinvention, for example.

The supplying method according to the prior art described above stillinvolves the problem that the applying time is long and the workingefficiency is low because the sheet materials are applied one by one.

When the sheet materials are applied, air is trapped between the layersof sheet materials and generates air reservoirs. Therefore, an airremoval step must be provided.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method ofsupplying sheet materials, and an apparatus therefor, which canefficiently apply a plurality of sheet materials comprising tireconstituent materials and cut into a predetermined size, to a buildingdrum.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a method ofsupplying sheet materials, and an apparatus therefor, which candrastically reduce air pockets which would otherwise occur between thelaminated sheet materials, and can eliminate an air removal step.

The objects of the invention described above can be accomplished by amethod of supplying sheet materials for conveying a plurality of sheetmaterials cut into a predetermined size and comprising tire constituentmaterials, by applying conveyor means and applying them on a buildingdrum, which method comprises supplying the sheet material to beassembled, to a conveyor belt of the applying conveyor means; assemblinga sheet material to assemble onto the sheet material to be assembled onthe conveyor belt, the sheet material to assemble is wound on thetransfer drum so that the sheet material to assemble is laminated withpress onto the sheet material to be assembled sequentially from one ofthe end sides thereof to the other by rotating and moving said transferdrum; and after a lamination step of the sheet materials required iscompleted, winding the resulting laminate body of the sheet materials tothe building drum.

The objects of the invention described above can be also accomplished byan apparatus for supplying sheet materials for conveying a plurality ofsheet materials cut into a predetermined size and comprising tireconstituent materials, by an applying conveyor means and applying themon a building drum, which apparatus comprises at least two material feedmeans for supplying the sheet materials to a conveyor belt of theapplying conveyor means, disposed adjacent to the applying conveyormeans; and transfer means for transferring each of the sheet materialsfrom the material feed means to the applying conveyor means, disposedbetween each of the material feed means and the applying conveyor means;wherein at least the transfer means for transferring the sheet materialto assemble, among the transfer means, includes a transfer drum capableof winding each of the sheet materials on the peripheral surface thereofand retaining it, the conveyor drum is disposed rotatably and movably upand down above the material feed means, and is capable of reciprocatingbetween the applying conveyor means and the material feed means and in aconveying direction of the applying conveyor means; and wherein a sheetmaterial to assemble is sequentially pressed and laminated from one ofthe end sides thereof to the sheet material on the conveyor belt of theapplying conveyor means by rotating and moving the transfer drum.

As described above, a sheet material to assemble is laminated on anothersheet material to be assembled on the conveyor belt of the applyingconveyor means so as to form in advance a laminate body of the sheetmaterials to be assembled, and this laminate body is then wound on thebuilding drum. Therefore, a plurality of sheet materials can be appliedto the building drum without requiring a long applying time in the priorart wherein the sheet materials are applied one by one. Thus, applyingefficiency can be drastically improved.

Moreover, because the transfer drum is moved while being rotated, thesheet-like material to assemble, which is wound on the transfer drum, ispressed and laminated to the sheet material which is sequentiallyassembled from one of the sides thereof. Accordingly, the sheetmaterials can be laminated while air which would otherwise be residualis sequentially purged, and the occurrence of air pockets can bedrastically reduced. Accordingly, an air removal step can be eliminated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing an example of a sheet materialfeeding apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic front view showing sheet material feed means andtransfer means;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged front view of the transfer means;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the principal portions of FIG. 3;

FIGS. 5(a) to 5(f) are explanatory views showing winding steps of thesheet material, which is cut into a predetermined size, on a transferdrum of the transfer means;

FIGS. 6(a) to 6(e) are explanatory views showing piling steps of thesheet materials by the transfer drum of the transfer means;

FIG. 7 is a schematic side view when restriction means for restrictingthe rear end portion of the sheet material is disposed on a applyingconveyor;

FIG. 8 is a plan view of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged sectional view taken along a line IX--IX of FIG.7;

FIGS. 10(a) to 10(e) are explanatory views showing applying steps of thesheet material by the restriction means; and

FIGS. 11(a) to 11(f) are explanatory views showing another applyingsteps that the laminate body and a sheet material are wound onto thebuilding drum sequentially using the restriction means.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In the drawings, reference numeral 1 denotes a building drum for pilinga plurality of sheet materials W1, W2, W3 comprising tire constituentmaterials(for instance, a carcass and two unvulcanized rubber sheets)and cut into a predetermined size and applying them into a cylindricalshape, reference numeral 3 denotes the applying conveyor means forsupplying the sheet materials W1, W2, W3 to the building drum 1 andapplying them, reference numeral 5 denotes material feed means forsupplying the sheet materials W1, W2, W3 to the applying conveyor means3, and reference numeral 7 denotes transfer means for transferring thesheet materials W1, W2, W3 cut into a predetermined size from thematerial feed means 5 to the applying conveyor means 3.

The building drum 1 is rotatably disposed with the axis of rotationthereof positioned in a horizontal direction. When a laminate body Zcomprising the sheet materials W1, W2, W3 is wound on the building drum1, the building drum 1 rotates in the interlocking arrangement with anapplying conveyor 31 of later-appearing applying conveyor means 3.

The applying conveyor means 3 comprises the applying conveyor 31disposed adjacent to the building drum 1 in such a manner as to facethis building drum 1 and a lamination conveyor 32 disposed continuouslyfrom and on the upstream side of the applying conveyor 31 in theconveying direction, for conveying the laminate body Z obtained bylaminating the sheet materials W1, W2, W3 to the applying conveyor 31.When the laminate body Z of the sheet materials is applied to thebuilding drum 1, the applying conveyor 31 moves to a position below thebuilding drum 1 disposed above the applying conveyor 31 as indicated bytwo-dot-chain lines in FIG. 1, and its conveying side rises to theapplying position of the building drum 1. After the laminate body Z ofthe sheet materials is wound on the building drum 1, the applyingconveyor 31 lowers and returns to the position at which it is connectedto the lamination conveyor 32. Thus, the applying conveyor 31 canreciprocate horizontally and can move up and down. The conveyingdirection of the applying conveyor means 3 orthogonally crosses the axisof rotation of the building drum 1 when viewed on a plane.

Three sets of the material feed means 5 described above are disposedadjacent to the applying conveyor means 3. They are disposed on bothsides of the lamination conveyor 32 along the conveying direction.

Each material feed means 5A, 5B, 5C comprises the elongated sheetmaterial feed means 51 for supplying an elongated sheet material W,first and second feed conveyors 53, 55 disposed between this elongatedsheet material feed means 51 and the lamination conveyor 32, and cuttingmeans 57 disposed between the first and second feed conveyors 53 and 55,for cutting the elongated sheet material into the predetermined size.

The elongated sheet material feed means 51 carries a roll of theelongated sheet material W having an adhesion preventive liner a therebetween into a roll shape and accommodates the material W. The width ofthe elongated sheet material W corresponds to the length of the pieceapplied on the building drum 1. In the material feed means 5C forsupplying the third sheet material W3 which is to be the innermostlayer, the width of the elongated sheet material W corresponds to thelength by which, when the third sheet material W3 is wound on thebuilding drum 1, its leading and trailing end portions somewhat overlapwith each other. In the material feed means 5B for supplying the outersecond sheet material W2, the width of the elongated sheet-like materialW is somewhat greater than the length of the sheet-like material W3, andin the material feed means 5A for supplying the first sheet material W1which will be disposed further outside, the width of the elongated sheetmaterial W is somewhat greater than the second sheet material W2. Thus,the width of the elongated sheet material W becomes progressivelygreater as it is applied on the building drum 1 on a progressively outerside so that both end portions of each sheet material superpose with oneanother when the first, second, and third sheet materials W1, W2, W3 arewound on the building drum 1.

The elongated sheet material W equipped with the liner a is pulled outfrom the elongated sheet material feed means 51 and passes through aplurality of guide rollers 60. After the liner a is peeled from theelongated sheet material W, it is taken up on the liner take-up core 62.After liner a is peeled away from it, the elongated sheet material W isconveyed on the conveyor belt of the first feed conveyor 53 and then tothe conveyor belt 55a of the second feed conveyor 55 connected to thefirst feed conveyor 53. The elongated sheet material W is thereafter cutby cutting means 57 into a sheet material piece having a predeterminedsize in accordance with a winding width.

The elongated sheet material feed means 51 and the first and second feedconveyors 53, 55 are linearly disposed and convey the elongated sheetmaterial W in such a fashion that its width direction becomes equivalentto a winding direction of the sheet material wound on the buildingdrum 1. The conveying direction of the second feed conveyor 55, which isdisposed adjacent to the lamination conveyor 32, orthogonally crossesthe conveying direction of the lamination conveyor 32.

The transfer means 7 are disposed between each second feed conveyor 55and the lamination conveyor 32, respectively. Each transfer means 7includes a pair of right and left lateral guide rails 72 extended at thelower portions of a pair of right and left support members 71 disposedhorizontally in the conveying direction of the second feed conveyorabove the second feed conveyor 55 and the lamination conveyor 32, and aslide member 73 capable of moving along the guide rail 72 is suspendedfrom both guide rails 72.

A moving cylinder 74 for reciprocating the slide member 73 along thelateral guide rails 72 is disposed on one of the sides (on the side ofthe first feed conveyor 53) of the slide member 73. This moving cylinder74 is horizontally supported through a bracket 71a so provided to thesupport member 71 as to protrude therefrom. The front end of a rod 74acontracting and extending in the horizontal direction is connected tothe slide member 73.

A pair of right and left longitudinal guide rails 75 are disposed on abottom of the slide member 73 in such a manner as to protrude from theslide member 73 and to extend in a direction orthogonally crossing thelateral guide rails 72. A support member 77 for supporting a transferdrum 76 for transferring the cut sheet material is suspended from thelongitudinal guide rails 75. The support member 77 can move along eachset of longitudinal guide rails 75. A driving motor 78 is disposed onthe support member 77. When this driving motor 78 is operated, thesupport member 77 moves along the longitudinal guide rails 75.

A pair of elevation cylinders 79 is disposed on a bottom side of thesupport member 77 in such a manner as to face each other in theconveying direction of the second feed conveyor 55, and theircontractile rods 79a face downward. The lower end of each rod 79arotatably supports a support shaft 81 of the transfer drum 76 disposedhorizontally in the conveying direction of the second feed conveyor 55through a bearing portion 80.

A large number of hole portions 82 are bored in an outer peripheralportion 76a of the transfer drum 76, which portion is shaped into acylindrical shape, so as to penetrate through the wall to the inside.The hole portions 82 are dispersed in regular order throughout theentire peripheral surface 76b of the outer peripheral portion 76a. Rightand left air suction/feed means 83 capable of sucking and supplying airare connected to these hole portions 82 through rotary joints 83A fittedto both end portions of the support shaft 81 which is shaped into ahollow shape.

Each air suction/feed means 83 includes air feed means 83a for feedingcompressed air and air suction means 83b for sucking air. These air feedmeans 83a and air suction means 83b are connected to each rotary joint83A by an air passage 83d through a solenoid switch valve 83c.

A driving motor 85 for driving the transfer drum 76 for rotation isdisposed at the bearing portion 80 at one of the end portions through abracket 84. An endless belt 88 is set between a pulley 86 fixed to therotary shaft 85a of the driving motor 85 and a pulley 87 fixed to theend portion of the support shaft 81 disposed further outside the bearing80 at one of the end portions, so as to transmit the rotation of thedriving motor 85 to the support shaft 81.

Next, a method of supplying the sheet material according to the presentinvention by using the feed apparatus described above will be explained.

First, the elongated sheet material W is delivered from the sheetmaterial feed means 51 in each material feed means 5A, 5B, 5C, and issupplied in predetermined length to the first and second feed conveyors53, 55 through the guide rollers 60 while the adhesion preventive linera is peeled off. The transfer of the sheet material W is then stopped.Subsequently, the elongated sheet material W on each second feedconveyor 55 is cut into a sheet material piece W1, W2, W3 having apredetermined size in accordance with the width to be wound on thebuilding drum 1, by each corresponding cutting means 57.

Each sheet material W1, W2, W3 is transferred to the transfer drum 76 ofthe transfer means 7 positioned at the standby position above the secondfeed conveyor 55.

The transfer drum 76 moves down due to the extending operation of theelevation cylinder 79 as shown in FIG. 5(a). The transfer drum 76 comesinto contact with one of the ends of the sheet-like material as shown inFIG. 5(b).

The air suction means 83b of the air suction/feed means 83 thenoperates, sucks the sheet material from the hole portions 82 formed inthe outer peripheral portion 76a of the transfer drum 76 and sucks andholds one of the end portions of the sheet-like material on the outerperipheral surface 76b of the transfer drum 76. At the same time, thedriving motors 78, 85 start operating, and move in the directionindicated by an arrow X in FIG. 1 along the longitudinal guide rails 75while rotating the transfer drum 76. As shown in FIGS. 5(b) to 5(d), thesheet material is sequentially wound on the transfer drum 76 from one ofthe sides thereof to the other while being sucked onto the outerperipheral surface 76b of the transfer drum 76, and is held there. Atthis time, both end portions of the sheet material are a bit spacedapart from each other without overlapping on a bottom side of thetransfer drum 76, as shown in FIGS. 5(d) and 5(e).

Subsequently, the transfer drum 76 moves up due to the operation of theelevation cylinder 79 as shown in FIG. 5(e) and returns to the upperstandby position.

Under this state, the sheet material W1 with a predetermined size (thefirst sheet material to be assembled) which is to be disposed on theoutermost layer side is first transferred from the material feed means5A onto the conveyor belt 32a of the lamination conveyor 32. The slidemember 73 moves in the direction indicated by an arrow Y in FIG. 1 bythe operation of the moving cylinder 74, and the transfer drum 76 movesabove the conveyor belt 32a of the lamination conveyor 32 (FIG. 5(f)).

Subsequently, the transfer drum 76 moves down due to the extensionoperation of the elevation cylinder 79. When the first sheet material W1wound on the transfer drum 76 comes into contact with the conveyor belt32a of the lamination conveyor 32, the operation of the elevationcylinder 79 stops. As the solenoid switch valve 83c effects theswitching operation, the air feed means 83a of the air suction/feedmeans 83 operates and blasts air from the hole portions 82 of thetransfer drum 76 in order with the rotation of the transfer drum 76. Atthe same time, the driving motors 78, 85 start operating and move thetransfer drum 76 along the longitudinal guide rails 75 in the directionX' opposite to the direction X in FIG. 1 while rotating this drum 76.The first sheet material W1 is sequentially peeled off from the transferdrum 76 from the other end side to one of the end sides and istransferred onto the conveyor belt 32a of the lamination conveyor 32(the position indicated by two-dot-chain lines in FIG. 6(a)). As thelamination conveyor 32 operates, the first sheet material W1 moves onthe conveyor belt to the position at which it is to be laminated, asindicated by the solid line in FIG. 6(a).

When the first sheet material W1 of the outermost layer is conveyed tothe lamination position, the second sheet material W2 (the sheetmaterial to assembled) to be laminated inside the first sheet materialW1 starts being conveyed. In other words, the second sheet material W2is moved above the conveyor belt 32a of the lamination conveyor 32 fromthe material feed means 5B disposed on one of the sides of thelamination position, in the same way as described above.

Due to the extension operation of the elevation cylinder 79, thetransfer drum 76 moves down while both end portions of the second sheetmaterial W2 wound on the drum 76 face downward as shown in FIG. 6(a).The drum presses the end portion to the other end side (trailing side inthe conveying direction) of the first sheet material W1 while the endportion of the second sheet material W2 is deviated a little from one ofthe end portions of the first sheet material W1 as shown in FIG. 6(b).

The air feed means 83a of the air suction/feed means 83 operates andblasts air from the hole portions 82 of the transfer drum 76 and at thesame time, the driving motors 78, 85 operate and move the transfer drum76 in the direction X' in FIG. 1 along the longitudinal guide rails 75while rotating this drum 76 as shown in FIGS. 6 (b) to (d). The secondsheet material W2 peels sequentially from the transfer drum 76 from theother end thereof to one of the ends thereof, and is pressed andlaminated sequentially onto the first sheet material W1 which is at halton the conveyor belt 32a. Because the second sheet material W2 issequentially pressed and laminated with the first sheet material W1, airwhich is otherwise residual between the first and second sheet materialsW1 and W2 is sequentially purged and lamination can be thus carried out.Accordingly, it becomes possible to drastically reduce air reservoirs,which have occurred in the prior art, and to eliminate an air removalstep.

After the second sheet material W2 is laminated, the transfer drum 76moves up as shown in FIG. 6e and returns to the standby position abovethe second feed conveyor 55. Next, the third sheet material W3 to bedisposed further inside (that is, the innermost layer wound on thebuilding drum 1 in this embodiment) is supplied by the transfer means 7from the material feed means 5C disposed on the other side of thelamination position, in the same way as described above, and islaminated on the second sheet material W2 while their end portions aredeviated from one another in such a manner that the end portions, on theconveying side, of the second sheet materials on the inner sides arefarther deviated towards the building drum 1. In this way, a laminatebody Z can be shaped.

During the transferring process described above, the sheet materials cutinto a predetermined size are sequentially formed on the second feedconveyor 55 of each material feed means 5. When the transfer drum 76returns to the standby position above the second feed conveyor 55, eachtransfer means 7 sequentially takes up the sheet materials cut into apredetermined size on the transfer drum 76 and waits for the nextassembling operation at the standby position.

The laminate body Z comprising the first, second, and third sheetmaterials W1, W2, W3 is conveyed from the lamination conveyor 32 to theapplying conveyor 31. As indicated by two-dot-chain lines in FIG. 1, theapplying conveyor 31 moves to the position below the building drum 1,and its conveying side for starting applying moves up to the applyingposition of the building drum 1 and contacts the front end portion ofthe laminate body Z to the building drum 1. The laminate body Z is woundon the rotating building drum 1 by setting the conveying speed of theapplying conveyor 31 to the same speed as the rotating speed of. Thebuilding drum 1, and the laminate body formed by laminating and applyingthe sheet materials in such a manner that their both end portionsoverlap with one another is formed on the building drum 1. Unlike theprior art wherein the first, second and third sheet materials W1, W2, W3are assembled one by one, the present invention forms in advance thelaminate body Z comprising these sheet materials and supplies it to thebuilding drum 1. Accordingly, the sheet materials can be efficientlylaminated and applied on the building drum 1.

While the laminate body Z is wound on the building drum 1, the conveyingprocesses described above are sequentially carried out on the laminationconveyor 32.

FIGS. 7 to 9 show parts of another embodiment. When a sheet material W4(for instance, the second carcass) is further applied to the laminatebody Z on the drum 1 in the apparatus having the construction describedabove, this apparatus can easily satisfy such a requirement withoutdisposing additional material feed means 5 for supplying and conveyingthe sheet material W4 and transfer means 7. In this embodiment,restriction means 9 for restricting the rear end portion of the sheetmaterial W4 is disposed adjacent to the applying conveyor 31.

The restriction means 9 includes a moving portion 93 which reciprocatesalong right and left guide rails 92 laid down on a pair of supportframes 91 so disposed as to extend along the applying conveyor 31 onboth sides thereof. The moving portion 93 includes a lower plate 93adisposed inside the endless conveyor belt 31a of the applying conveyor31 in such a manner as to cross the conveyor belt 31a moving thereabovein the transverse direction and in the proximity of the conveyor belt31a and an upper plate 93b disposed above the conveyor belt 31a in sucha manner as to cross this conveyor belt 31a in the transverse direction.

A pair of right and left clamp cylinders 94 are disposed on both sidesof the upper plate 93b so as to clamp the conveyor belt 31a incooperation with the lower plate 93a. A push member 95 for pushing theconveyor belt 31a is fixed to the lower end of a contractible rod 94aprotruding downward from the each clamp cylinder 94. Accordingly, thepush members 95 push the conveyor belt 31a with the operation of theclamp cylinder 94 and the conveyor belt 31a is clamped between the pushmembers 95 and the lower plate 93a. In consequence, the moving portion93 moves in the same direction as the conveyor belt 31a with themovement of the conveyor belt 31a.

A pair of right and left support members 96 are erected on both sides ofthe upper plate 93b inside both clamp cylinders 94, and a transversemember 97 is fixed at the upper part of each support member 96 in such amanner as to protrude in the conveying direction of the applyingconveyor 31.

A shaft member 99 is rotatably supported between the distal end portionsof both transverse members 97 through bearings 98, and a holding portionfor pushing and holding the rear end portion of the fourth sheetmaterial W4 on the conveyor belt 31a is disposed on this shaft member99. This holding portion comprises a pressing plate comprising a leafspring substantially L-shaped in section, and the rear end portion ofthe fourth sheet material W4 is clamped between this pressing plate 100and the conveyor belt 31a. A notch portion 100a is formed at the centralportion of the pressing plate 100 in the conveying direction in order todetect the rear end of the fourth sheet material W4 by a later-appearingedge sensor 106.

A pressing cylinder 102 is fitted to one of the support members 96through a bracket 101. The rear end portion of an arm member 103 isinterconnected to the front end portion of a contractible rod 102aprotruding horizontally from the pressing cylinder 102, and the frontend portion of this arm member 103 is connected to one of the ends ofthe shaft member 99 described above. Accordingly, when the contractiblerod 102a is extended by the operation of the pressing cylinder 102, theshaft member 99 rotates and the pressing plate 100 turns downward, sothat its front end portion 100b pushes and holds the rear end portion ofthe fourth sheet material W4. When the contractible rod 102a undergoescontraction, the shaft member 99 rotates in the opposite direction, andthe pressing plate 100 turns upward as indicated by the two-dot-chainline in FIG. 7, thereby releasing the push operation of the rear endportion of the fourth sheet material W4.

A sensor support member 104 is erected at the center of the upper plate93b, and an edge sensor 106 comprising a photoelectric tube, etc, fordetecting the rear edge of the fourth sheet material W4 is fitted to thefront end portion of a protruding plate 105 so fitted to the upperportion of this sensor support member 104 as to extend transversely inthe conveying direction. The edge sensor 106 detects the rear edge ofthe fourth sheet material W4 positioned below the pressing plate 100,through the notch portion 100a described above. When the edge sensor 106detects the rear edge of the fourth sheet material W4 that is beingconveyed, the applying conveyor 31 is stopped, the pressing cylinder 102operates, and the pressing plate 100 pushes the rear end portion of thefourth sheet material W4.

Incidentally, reference numeral 31b in FIG. 8 denotes a driving motorfor driving the conveyor belt 31a for rotation.

FIG. 10 shows the applying process by the restriction means 9 describedabove. The sheet materials to be applied on the building drum 1 areapplied in such a manner that one end portion of each material overlapsthe other end portion, of the next lower sheet material and an outerdisposed material has a larger length than an inner disposed material.Accordingly, when the fourth sheet material W4 is applied further on thelaminate body Z, a material having a winding length which is a littlegreater than that of the outermost first sheet material W1 becomesnecessary. In the case described above, the fourth sheet material W4which is made from the same elongated sheet material W as that of thefirst sheet materials W1 can be applied onto the laminate body Z on thebuilding drum 1. In this case, the restriction means 9 described abovebecomes effective.

The fourth sheet material W4 cut into the predetermined size(in case ofa carcass, its width is different from the first sheet material W1) issupplied from the material feed means 5A to the lamination conveyor 32and is then conveyed to the applying conveyor 31 in the same way asdescribed above.

The fourth sheet material W4 is conveyed on the conveyor belt 31a of theapplying conveyor 31. When the rear end of this fourth sheet material W4is detected by the edge sensor 106, the operation of the applyingconveyor 31 stops. Subsequently, the pressing cylinder 102 operates, thepressing plate 100 pushes the rear end portion of the fourth sheetmaterial W4 as shown in FIG. 10(a), and the rear end portion of thefourth sheet material W4 is then held between the conveyor belt 31a andthe pressing plate 100. At the same time, the clamp cylinder 94 startsoperating, the push members 95 push the conveyor belt 31a, and theconveyor belt 31a is clamped between the push members 95 and the lowerplate 93a.

The applying conveyor 31 advances as shown in FIG. 10(b) to the applyingposition when it reaches the applying position under the building drum1, its front end side goes up and the front end of the fourth sheetmaterial W4 on the conveyor belt 31a is touched and applied to thelaminate body Z on the building drum 1 as shown in FIG. 10(c).

The building drum 1 and the applying conveyor 31 operate under thisstate. The conveying speed of the applying conveyor 31 is adjusted to besomewhat lower than the rotating speed of the building drum 1 (to thespeed corresponding to the stretching length equivalent to a differenceof circle length), and the fourth sheet material W4 is so wound on thelaminate body Z. At this time, the rear end portion of the fourth sheetmaterial W4 is restrained by the pressing plate 100 disposed on themoving portion 93 of the restriction means 9 that moves with theconveyor belt 31a of the applying conveyor 31. Therefore, the fourthsheet material W4 is applied onto the laminate body Z while it is beingstretched. The push operation of the pressing plate 100 is releasedimmediately before completion of the applying operation of the fourthsheet material W4 as shown in FIG. 10(d). When the fourth sheet materialW4 is applied on the laminate body Z, the front end portion of theapplying conveyor 31 lowers, the moving portion 93 having the pressingplate 100 fitted thereto returns to the position at the back in theconveying direction of the applying conveyor 31 (FIG. 10(e)) and theapplying conveyor 31 moves back and returns to the position shown inFIG. 10(a)).

As described above, the fourth sheet material W4 having a shorter lengththan the required length is applied onto the laminate body Z while beingstretched. Therefore, it can be applied while both of its end portionsare overlapped with each other. As a result, the fourth sheet materialW4 can be applied onto the laminate body Z without disposingadditionally the material feed means 5 and the transfer means 7 suitedto the fourth sheet material W4. In case that a second carcass isapplied as the fourth sheet material W4, the air problem almost doesn'tmatter. Because the carcass, which has reinforced cords therein, haspricking treatment before applying.

In this embodiment, the fourth sheet material W4 is stretched morereliably by the adjustment of the relative conveying speed of the fourthsheet material W4 between the building drum 1 and the applying conveyor31 and by using the restriction means 9, but the length of the fourthsheet material W4 can be increased by only adjusting the rotating speedof the building drum 1 and the conveying speed of the applying conveyor31.

FIGS. 11 show another applying steps of the fourth sheet material W4.The applying conveyor 31 is constructed in such a manner that thelaminate body Z and the fourth sheet material W4 can be conveyed on asame conveyor belt 31a. After the laminate body Z is wound on thebuilding drum 1, the fourth sheet material W4 is applied onto thelaminate body Z consecutively.

FIG. 11(a) shows the state that laminate body Z and the fourth sheetmaterial W4 are on the conveyor belt 31a of the applying conveyor 31,conveyed from the lamination conveyor 32. The rear end portion of thefourth sheet material W4 is held by the pressing plate 100.

FIG. 11(b) shows the state that the applying conveyor 31 advances to theapplying position under the building drum 1 and FIG. 11(c) shows thestate that the laminate body Z is wound on the building drum 1 in thesame way described above after the front end side of the applyingconveyor 31 rises.

FIG. 11(d) shows the state that the front end side of the applyingconveyor 31 goes down and the fourth sheet material W4 is conveyed tothe applying position under the drum 1 after the completion of applyingthe laminate body Z.

FIG. 11(e) shows the state that the fourth sheet material W4 is woundonto the laminate body Z on the building drum 1 as described above afterthe front end side of the applying conveyor 31 goes up. FIG. 11(f) showsthe state that the front end side of the applying conveyor 31 goes downand the pressing plate 100 returns to the back position.

When it is known in advance that the fourth sheet material W4 is woundonto the laminate body Z, they are supplied in the way described above.Therefore, the laminate body Z and the fourth sheet material W4 arewound onto the drum 1 very efficiently without losing time. Theembodiments shown in FIGS. 7-11 show a sheet of material W4 is laminatedon the laminate body Z, but two sheets can be supplied if needed. Insuch a case, not only each sheets can be wound on the laminate body Zrespectively but also a laminate body comprised the two in advance canbe done instead of the three described above.

In the embodiments of the present invention described above, theapplying conveyor means 3 comprises the applying conveyor 31 and thelamination conveyor 32, but when a sufficient time margin can be securedat each process step, it may comprise one conveyor having the functionsof the applying conveyor 31 and the lamination conveyor 32.

When the sheet materials cut into a predetermined size are conveyed fromthe material feed means 5 to the applying conveyor means 3, eachtransfer means 7 uses the transfer drum 76, but because the transfermeans for transferring the outermost sheet material W1 need not laminatethis sheet material, a heretofore known flat sheet transfer plate can beemployed to the transfer means for the sheet material W1.

In the embodiments described above, the laminate body z comprising threesheet materials is supplied to the building drum 1, but the number ofthe sheet materials can be of course increased or decreased, whenevernecessary.

As described above, the present invention forms in advance the laminatebody by assembling onto other the sheet materials to be applied, on theconveyor belt of the applying conveyor means and winds this laminatebody on the building drum. Accordingly, the present invention can reducethe applying time in comparison with the prior art wherein the sheetmaterials are applied one by one, and can efficiently apply a pluralityof sheet materials on the building drum.

Moreover, as the transfer drum is moved while being rotated, the firstsheet material, which is wound on the transfer drum, presses the secondsheet material sequentially from one of the sides to the other and thesecond sheet material is laminated. Therefor, air which would otherwisebe residual between the sheet materials can be sequentially purged.Accordingly, the air removal step can be eliminated because theoccurrence of the air pockets can be reduced drastically.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for supplying sheet materials whichare tire constituent materials to be applied in layers, comprising:abuilding drum: an applying conveyor means disposed adjacent to andfacing said building drum for applying at least first and second sheetmaterials to said building drum; at least two material feed means forsupplying said at least first and second sheet materials onto a conveyorbelt of said applying conveyor means, disposed adjacent to said applyingconveyor means; and plural transfer means for transferring said at leastfirst and second sheet materials from said material feed means to saidapplying conveyor means, disposed between each of said material feedmeans and said applying conveyor means; wherein at least said transfermeans for transferring said first sheet material, among said pluraltransfer means, includes a transfer drum capable of winding each firstsheet material on the peripheral surface thereof and retaining it, saidtransfer drum being disposed rotatably and movably up and down abovesaid material feed means and being capable of reciprocating between saidapplying conveyor means and said material feed means and in a conveyingdirection of said applying conveyor means; and wherein a sheet materialis sequentially pressed and laminated from one of the end sides thereofto a sheet material on said conveyor belt of said conveyor means byrotating and moving said transfer drum.
 2. The apparatus for supplyingsheet materials according to claim 1, wherein said transfer drum has anouter peripheral portion shaped into a cylindrical shape, a plurality ofhole portions are dispersedly formed in said outer peripheral portion insuch a manner to penetrate therethrough to the inside, and airsuction/feed means capable of sucking and supplying air is connected tosaid hole portions.
 3. The apparatus for supplying sheet materialsaccording to claim 1, wherein said material feed means is disposed insuch a fashion that the conveying direction of said sheet materialsthereof crosses the conveying direction of said applying conveyor means.4. The apparatus for supplying sheet materials according to claim 3,wherein said material feed means and said applying conveyor means aredisposed so that their conveying directions orthogonally cross eachother.
 5. The apparatus for supplying sheet materials according to claim4, wherein each of said at least first and second sheet materials has atthe time of winding on said building drum a longitudinal axis and alateral axis perpendicular to said longitudinal axis, said material feedmeans convey said sheet materials in a direction parallel to saidlateral axis, said applying conveyor means conveys said sheet materialsin a direction parallel to said longitudinal axis, and said transferdrum winds each sheet material existing on said material feed meansalong said longitudinal axis thereof, and sucks and holds said sheetmaterial.
 6. The apparatus for supplying sheet materials according toclaim 1, wherein each of said material feed means comprises an elongatedsheet material feed means for supplying elongated sheet material, firstand second feed conveyors disposed between said elongated sheet materialfeed means and said applying conveyor means and cutting means forcutting said elongated sheet material into a predetermined size,disposed between said first and second feed conveyors.
 7. The apparatusfor supplying sheet materials according to claim 1, wherein saidapplying conveyor means comprises an applying conveyor so disposed as tooppose said building drum and a lamination conveyor for supplying alaminate body of said sheet materials to said applying conveyor.
 8. Theapparatus for supplying sheet materials according to claim 7, whereinthe conveying speed of said applying conveyor and the rotating speed ofsaid building drum are interlocked with each other, and their relativespeed can be regulated.
 9. The apparatus for supplying sheet materialsaccording to claim 8, wherein restriction means capable of restrictingthe rear end portion of said sheet material cut into a predeterminedsize is disposed adjacent to said applying conveyor, and saidrestriction means is so constituted as to be capable of moving with saidconveyor belt of said applying conveyor in the conveying direction ofsaid applying conveyor, and has a holding portion capable of holding therear end portion of said sheet material on said conveyor belt.
 10. Theapparatus for supplying sheet materials according to claim 1, whereinsaid sheet material on said conveyor belt has a larger length than saidsheet material pressed and laminated thereto.